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Recovering cushions is one of the quickest ways to give a worn-out sofa, chair or love seat a brand new look. Some cushions have springs inside, but don’t let that throw you. There’s no special trick to recovering cushions that have springs inside as long as the springs are in good shape. Make sure that you leave enough room for the springs to move and your cushions will have a fresh, new look in no time.

1

Measure the width of your cushion from side to side and double it. Measure the depth from front to back, and add the height plus 2 inches. Multiply the two totals to get the amount of fabric you need to cover the cushion.

2

Remove the existing fabric by cutting through the stitching at the seams with a utility knife or seam ripper. Try to keep the fabric as intact as possible as you remove it piece by piece. That way you can use the pieces as patterns to help you cut out the new fabric.

3

Place the old fabric with its printed side up on your work surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Lay the old fabric pieces on top, also facing up. Pin the old pieces to the new fabric.

4

Cut the new pieces out, leaving at least a 1/2-inch seam allowance on every side of each piece. You should have a top, a bottom and four side pieces. Remove the old fabric pieces from the new ones.

5

Pin the short edges of the side pieces together, with the printed sides together. Place the pins perpendicular to the fabric edges so you can pull them out as they approach the sewing machine foot.

6

Sew the side pieces together. Use a sewing machine needle that is the proper size for your fabric. For example, medium-weight fabric will do well with a 14/90 needle while knits require a ball needle and heavy fabrics like canvas require a 16/100 needle. Adjust your thread tension according to the recommendation in your sewing machine manual.

7

Pin the top and bottom pieces to the side pieces, keeping the printed sides together and matching the corners precisely.

8

Fit the new cover over your cushion to make sure that it fits with enough give for the springs to move without straining the fabric at the seams. Make any needed adjustments.

9

Sew the top to the side pieces all the way around. Sew the bottom to the side pieces only at both sides and the front. Turn the cover right side out.

10

Slide the cover onto the cushion and adjust the fit. Hand sew the back edge closed at the bottom with a blind stitch.

Things You Will Need

Measuring tape

Utility knife or seam ripper

Fabric

Scissors

Iron

Straight pins

Sewing machine

Needle and thread

Tip

Add piping to your cover to give it a bit more polish and visual pop.

Warning

Never pull your fabric tight enough to compress the springs when pinning it or the cover may eventually tear.

About the Author

Emmy-award nominated screenwriter Brynne Chandler is a single mother of three who divides her time between professional research and varied cooking, fitness and home & gardening enterprises. A running enthusiast who regularly participates in San Francisco's Bay to Breakers run, Chandler works as an independent caterer, preparing healthy, nutritious meals for Phoenix area residents.

Photo Credits

Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

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Chandler, Brynne. "How to Recover a Cushion That Has Springs." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/recover-cushion-springs-65556.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.

Chandler, Brynne. (n.d.). How to Recover a Cushion That Has Springs. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/recover-cushion-springs-65556.html

Chandler, Brynne. "How to Recover a Cushion That Has Springs" accessed January 21, 2019. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/recover-cushion-springs-65556.html

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